Am I a bad man?

I've been sampling a whole bunch of soaps, and I notice that the more specialty/boutique-ish the brand, the worse the soap handles. In my limited experience of course. The 'bigger' brands do a lot better. I happen to love my DR Harris (what a joy!), Tabac (classic, such ease and fun), Cella (el cheapo classic), MWF, van der Haagen (cheap but surprisingly pleasant) and even Arko gives a pleasant lather, although the smell needs to be masked. ;)

The smaller specialty ones come both from producers that don't have it as their main product, but still sell it, as well as soap-only manufacturers. I haven't had much luck with a range of soaps from a smaller producer. Difficult to lather, which gets me grumpy and just makes me rinse the scuttle and brush to go back to a favorite.

Am I stupid or evil for liking the slightly bigger dogs better? :)

I'm a little hesitant now to try TGQ, although everybody raves about them. :)

You must find your bliss

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hillie

I'm a little hesitant now to try TGQ, although everybody raves about them. :)

---

Get off the fence and give Colleen's soaps a try and you will be raving like the rest of us! Until you do this you are indeed a bad man!;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hillie

I've been sampling a whole bunch of soaps, and I notice that the more specialty/boutique-ish the brand, the worse the soap handles. In my limited experience of course. The 'bigger' brands do a lot better. I happen to love my DR Harris (what a joy!), Tabac (classic, such ease and fun), Cella (el cheapo classic), MWF, van der Haagen (cheap but surprisingly pleasant) and even Arko gives a pleasant lather, although the smell needs to be masked. ;)

The smaller specialty ones come both from producers that don't have it as their main product, but still sell it, as well as soap-only manufacturers. I haven't had much luck with a range of soaps from a smaller producer. Difficult to lather, which gets me grumpy and just makes me rinse the scuttle and brush to go back to a favorite.

Am I stupid or evil for liking the slightly bigger dogs better? :)

I'm a little hesitant now to try TGQ, although everybody raves about them. :)

---

Not stupid or evil.
What works for you, works.

You must invest $2.00 in a puck of Williams!

Lather is a combination of water, soap, brush, practice and you.

Skin prep is mostly a matter of giving your skin
and whiskers time so the whiskers soften and
the skin gets slippery but not an hour in the hot
tub soft.

Shaving is a combination of your beard, your skin, your blade,
your lather and the hand you shave with.

Too many differences for one size to fit all....

FWIW: Shave soaps have two key qualities that boutique
soaps often lack. One is ingredients that build a stable lather and
second a little bit of clay for glide. Boutique soaps tend to
have fragrance as the primary value add and then skin
restoring oils (vitamin E and friends) that go rancid too quickly
(IMO) to have much shelf life.

None of this is news to the soap world so some boutique shops
are turning out some very good shave soaps..... some are relabeled
and resold by some of the sponsors.... other have a fan club here.

The issue of rancid oils is my pet peeve... It applies to common
kitchen oil, fine nut oils and fine olive oils. When rancid and used as a
pre/post shave they give me a rash as well as STINK. When they
are used in a dressing in the kitchen the STINK and wreck the
entire meal. That second half of a quart of avocado oil that made
such a fine shave soap six months ago is only good for tiki lamp fuel
today.

Ogallala Bay Rum Soap pucks. 5 bucks and EXCELLENT

Hillie,

No at all...It is neither stupid nor evil to have a preference in soaps.

Variety is the spice of life--and in shaving soaps. Don't judge yourself, but the soap.

Take care...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Sounds like you just prefer mass produced stuff that has little character.

---

Actually not. I prefer non-masses stuff in general, and the same with shaving stuff. For some reason I just haven't had much luck there. The Ogallalla (give or take a few L's ;)) sampler I have has been doing great work as a hand soap, because I had lots of trouble getting decent lather. I'll try some more flavours, but so far not lucky yet.

I will try TGQ at some point, because I just have to. I do hope it'll turn out to be great.

I love TGQ cream, it's a little fickle though.. I haven't had much experience with Soaps from them, but what I had was GOOOOOD

Of course your a bad man don't you know that the botique shops have the best of everything...... :nono:

now where did I but that CF, TGQ and Alraz's bomb

Hillie....

I unloaded my TGQ soaps. I don't like to have to work for a lather, and boutique glycerin-based soaps haven't been that great IME. That includes Ogallala (which is good, just not great). I prefer Ogallala to TGQ.

The one boutique shop that stands head and shoulders above the rest is Prairie Creations. It's tallow-based and has explosive, slick lather. The bay rum scent is intoxicating. I have two pucks of Fitjar on their way to me. I've heard good things about them so stay tuned.

Like you, I also love DR Harris and other mass-produced soaps as my go-to's. My favorites are L'Occitane, Tabac, DR Harris, Pre de Provence, haslinger, and AoS.

It's all about what you like. I'm in the small minority here that thinks MWF is a terrible soap. That's fine with me.

Cheers!

G

MWF doesn't rank among my favourites, but it's not too difficult a latherer. Like you Ogie, I prefer to not to have to work too hard on the lather. With such quality soaps available that lather like a breeze (DR Harris, cheap Cella, good ol' pimpin' Tabac), and shaving for me being a little self-spoil-time (SWMBO never interrupts!), I am not looking forward to getting annoyed over difficult lather. I do hope TGQ is OK in that sense and I'll give some more of my Ogallala samplers a shot.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShavedZombie

Ogallala Bay Rum Soap pucks. 5 bucks and EXCELLENT

---

I'll second that!
Also Col Konk Bay Rum
And I even like Williams!!!!!
I tried the so called better brands and while my wife likes her mamma bears soaps for the scent I think the water has more effect on lather making than the soaps.
Soft water makes even Williams lather good!

Anyone have experience with soaps from classicshaving.com?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hillie

MWF doesn't rank among my favourites, but it's not too difficult a latherer. Like you Ogie, I prefer to not to have to work too hard on the lather. With such quality soaps available that lather like a breeze (DR Harris, cheap Cella, good ol' pimpin' Tabac), and shaving for me being a little self-spoil-time (SWMBO never interrupts!), I am not looking forward to getting annoyed over difficult lather. I do hope TGQ is OK in that sense and I'll give some more of my Ogallala samplers a shot.

---

I have found that TGQ is very easy for me to lather -the cream, at least... Haven't tried the soap yet- if you do it right... It's extremely hydrophobic at the start... That's the ONLY issue you should have... Start off with your brush shaken almost completely free of water (IE: If you rub it against your face, it should feel damp but not leave any moisture on your face) Load the brush, or your bowl, however you do it, and start swirling... Work it for 20-30 seconds until it turns to a glossy paste, and once that paste starts to dry-lather itself -and it will start to lather a little, you just have to make fairly aggressive lather motions to catch the air into it- just add about 10-15 drops of water... That stuff will just explode on you... It's marvelous, and the lather itself is quite top quality!

IIRC (I PIF'd my TGQ stuff), it wasn't so much the lather as it was the lather drying out -- on the brush and on my face. Since my departure from TGQ I've discovered many soaps that I love and I haven't looked back.

I only use a couple of creams and I don't have any problems with those. I've never used any of the boutique creams. Basically, Poraso, Bigelow (the same thing), Speick, and Trumpers. They all work fine but I prefer soaps.

At $10 a puck, Tabac, DR Harris, L'Occitane, Haslinger, Pre de Provence, and Prairie Creations can all be had, they'll perform better (IMO, of course, I'm not trying to put anybody out of business), and in some cases, the pucks are bigger.

When it's all said and done, it's a matter of preference. I am just pointing out that Hillie is not a bad man, and neither am I, because we get better results from different soaps.

Out of curiosity, does anybody prefer (who has tried both extensively) TGQ over DR Harris based on performance alone?

This is for my own personal research.

It sounds like you may simply have a preference for the hard or triple-milled soaps (are all "hard" soaps triple-milled?). I don't think home soap makers can produce this type of soap. I find the hard soaps make a creamier lather. I do think TGQ, Mama Bear and QED make excellent glycerin soaps though. They hold scent better, and I enjoy them as a change up from time to time. Use whatever you like, nothing wrong with that.

Jordan

THere's a reason why some brands sell better than other: they generally offer the best value for money.

I love Proraso: dirt cheap in Italy, expensive elsewhere.

Hilli,

I am the same way when it comes to soaps. I think I just don't like glycerin soaps. They all seem to dry my skin out.

I have had better luck with "boutique" creams though.

And like Kees says.. There is a reason why these brands are still around after all these years. They work and work well.

I have found that some of the artisanal products (especially soaps) improve if they're allowed to "age." By that I mean they perform better after being allowed to cure in a cabinet after the initial purchase.

For example, I have a puck of SCS "New Spice" that I purchased from Sue within the first few months of her opening her business (Fall 2006?), and it lathers better now than it ever has -- slick and plush lather -- and still maintains a healthy does of scent.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShavedZombie

I have found that TGQ is very easy for me to lather -the cream, at least... Haven't tried the soap yet- if you do it right... It's extremely hydrophobic at the start... That's the ONLY issue you should have... Start off with your brush shaken almost completely free of water (IE: If you rub it against your face, it should feel damp but not leave any moisture on your face) Load the brush, or your bowl, however you do it, and start swirling... Work it for 20-30 seconds until it turns to a glossy paste, and once that paste starts to dry-lather itself -and it will start to lather a little, you just have to make fairly aggressive lather motions to catch the air into it- just add about 10-15 drops of water... That stuff will just explode on you... It's marvelous, and the lather itself is quite top quality!

---

That's true even with the 'easy' latherers: A brush that's too wet makes it difficult to lather nicely in my experience. Some soaps are just more particular when it comes to the amount of water than others, and I notice with the boutique ones it moves into an area where it becomes a hassle to me.

Like slartibartfast, I may have some glycerine reluctance. The VDH glycerine was OK though, like the regular VDH.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hillie

That's true even with the 'easy' latherers: A brush that's too wet makes it difficult to lather nicely in my experience. Some soaps are just more particular when it comes to the amount of water than others, and I notice with the boutique ones it moves into an area where it becomes a hassle to me.

Like slartibartfast, I may have some glycerine reluctance. The VDH glycerine was OK though, like the regular VDH.

---

Hillie,

Have you tried Fitjar yet?

This soap is boutique, as far as I can tell, but it left me speechless. I am seriously considering throwing everything else away. Ok. Maybe not. But it is that good.

G

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Oglethorpe

Hillie,

Have you tried Fitjar yet?

This soap is boutique, as far as I can tell, but it left me speechless. I am seriously considering throwing everything else away. Ok. Maybe not. But it is that good.

G

---

Oh, lord yes! I tried Fitjar Citrus Kick Cream, and Fjellheim soap at Lynn's house... They were both FANTASTIC, however, the smell of Fjellheim was too piney for me -however, it was a delightful scent.... I'm just not a pine guy.

Thanks Ogie & Zombie, I'll have a look at the Fitjar stuff. Fjellheim too. I'll see if I can get a puck.

edit: Pretty expensive stuff though, I think I'll let it pass for now.

Oh, Hillie, minor misunderstanding.. Fjellheim isn't a soap or cream brand... Fjellheim (and Citrus Kick) are both Fitjar scents.

Citrus kick is citrusy, and Fjellheim is a delightful pine. Everything Fitjar is good though!q

I saw when I opened up their site. :) The prices are a bit heavy in my book, but that's with everything in Norway.

They are a little pricey, but they are QUALITY. Also, Rasage Poulin has a few of their soaps and creams (Wild Thing, Fjellheim, Miklagard and East Indies if I recall correctly) at a SLIGHTLY lower price.

They are worth it, though

I'd recommend Neroli. I like it a whole lot better than Fjellheim. Neroli is intoxicating.

I'll throw my two cents in. I'm one that doesn't care for TQC, I tried it over and over, and it just isn't that good IMHO. Mama Bears' is a bit better. I've come to love SRD's soap. They explode with lather, minimal brush load, I don't know, 20 second swirl = loads of whip cream lather. Check out SRD. Lime is great. One of my Fav's and if you have the bucks, and like the fragrance, is Rose Otto It's the best. Be Careful, many new guys aren't aware that Rose Otto doesn't exactly smell like roses, but intoxicating none the less, it's one of those soaps, you just have to open and smell every once in a while....

Williams cheapie soap contains, "Tallow" It is a good soap, believe it or not, if your on a budget.
I like MWF, Tabac, Any triple milled, like Vintage's. Prairie Creations, Ogalla, especially the Bay Rum/Sandalwood....OMG....It's one of my favorite fragrances. Also, P160 is good......I had a friend on here, "Joeman" who used to pif me quite a few soaps to try, so, that kind built up my collection as well...I've had some for of these for over a year, and are still going strong....

For shave creams, I like Truefitt and Hill, pretty much any, but my fav is 1805, It has an awesome fragrance, I even bought the A.S. Balm...It is the bomb...Speaking of Bombs, PM Alraz here. He makes shave cream called "The Bomb" that ranks right up there with Castle Forbes. A little of his stuff goes a long way. A pea size dollop will give you a bowl of lather...Also one of my fav's is Castle Forbes, lime is excellent, so is Sandalwood/Cedar and Lavendar. Art of shaving fall in behind that...and of course Taylor of old bond St, Avacado...OMG, that stuff smells great too......Now, your results may vary. What appeals to me, may not appeal to you. Like Tabac, you either hate, or love it....Here'e a rare glimpse of my bathroom counter, this doen't show the soaps/creams behind in the closet....

I know I have a problem. I've been meaning to pif some, but never get around to it. I do like 90% of these, and would buy them again....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zib

I'll throw my two cents in. I'm one that doesn't care for TQC, I tried it over and over, and it just isn't that good IMHO. Mama Bears' is a bit better. I've come to love SRD's soap. They explode with lather, minimal brush load, I don't know, 20 second swirl = loads of whip cream lather. Check out SRD. Lime is great. One of my Fav's and if you have the bucks, and like the fragrance, is Rose Otto It's the best. Be Careful, many new guys aren't aware that Rose Otto doesn't exactly smell like roses, but intoxicating none the less, it's one of those soaps, you just have to open and smell every once in a while....

Williams cheapie soap contains, "Tallow" It is a good soap, believe it or not, if your on a budget.
I like MWF, Tabac, Any triple milled, like Vintage's. Prairie Creations, Ogalla, especially the Bay Rum/Sandalwood....OMG....It's one of my favorite fragrances. Also, P160 is good......I had a friend on here, "Joeman" who used to pif me quite a few soaps to try, so, that kind built up my collection as well...I've had some for of these for over a year, and are still going strong....

For shave creams, I like Truefitt and Hill, pretty much any, but my fav is 1805, It has an awesome fragrance, I even bought the A.S. Balm...It is the bomb...Speaking of Bombs, PM Alraz here. He makes shave cream called "The Bomb" that ranks right up there with Castle Forbes. A little of his stuff goes a long way. A pea size dollop will give you a bowl of lather...Also one of my fav's is Castle Forbes, lime is excellent, so is Sandalwood/Cedar and Lavendar. Art of shaving fall in behind that...and of course Taylor of old bond St, Avacado...OMG, that stuff smells great too......Now, your results may vary. What appeals to me, may not appeal to you. Like Tabac, you either hate, or love it....Here'e a rare glimpse of my bathroom counter, this doen't show the soaps/creams behind in the closet....

I know I have a problem. I've been meaning to pif some, but never get around to it. I do like 90% of these, and would buy them again....

---

Saw the picture - now I don't feel so bad as I am in good company. I've scads of ADs, SCAD among them. :)


:beer2:

My wife already complains I have too much soaps, and it's just a small fraction of that huge collection!

The SRD suggestion is an interesting one, as I saw on their site they have their own brand and was wondering about experiences. And it's pretty affordable too!